Washboard.



No. 743.111. PATFNTBD Nov. 3, 1903.

B.T ANNBR. WASHBOARD.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29, 1902. N0 MODEL.

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v UNi'rno STATES Patented ovember 3, 1901i.

PATENT @FFI-CE.

wAsHBoARD.

SEEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 743,111, dated November 3, 1903. Application filed May 29. 1902. Serial No. 109.532. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN TANNER, aV citizen of the United States, residing at Sturgis, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful VVashboard, of which the following is a speci-` fication.

The invention relates to improvements in washboards.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of washboards and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive device adapted to be readily applied to a washboard and capable of holding a cake of soap at the face of the board in convenient position to enable a garment or other fabric to be readily soaped without removing the same from the washboard and without handling the soap.

A further object of the invention is to provide a soap-holder of this character adapted to be readily applied to double washboards and capable of being readily reversed to hold a cake of soap at either face of a double washboard and adapted to permit the soap to lbe used without affecting its gripping action on the same, whereby the Ysoap will besecurely held in place until entirely worn away.

The invention consists inthe construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a washboard provided with a soapholder constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. of the same on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.- Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view illustrating a modiiication of the invention.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the iigures of the drawings.

1 designates a double washboard provided with a suitable frame and having suitable rubbing-surfaces at its faces, and these may be constructed in any desired manner, as the improvements herein shown and described are applicable to all kinds of washboards.

Inlthe preferred construction shown inFigs.

1, 2, and 3 the washboard is provided at each Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional viewside with a flange 2, whichis approximately L-shaped, being composed of a transverse top portion 3 and a longitudinalside portion 4. Each flange forms a recess, which is adapted to receive a cake of soap 5, as illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings, and the flange will assist in holding the soap against movement. The side and top portions of the flange are preferably beveled, and the inner edges form shoulders for holding the calze of soap, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The flanges are disposed opposite each other, being preferably secured to the upper portion of the washboard by continuous fastening devices extending through them and through the washboard, and the upper portions of the brackets are provided with alined openings 6 for the passage of the sides of flexible soap-engaging loops 7, consisting, preferably, of cords. The flexible contractile ysoap clamping device yieldiugly engages the cake of soap 5 and er. vtends over the same from the opening 6 of Vthe support 2 to apertures 9, located below thesupport, as clearly shown in Figs. 1,. 2, and 3. The cord 7 is doubled at the back of the board, and the sides are passed through the perforations 6 and are extended across the soap and are then passed through the lower openings 9. The terminals 15 of the cord S are secured to the upper end of a longitudinal coiled spring 16, and the latter is provided at its lower end with a hook 17, which detachably engages a ring or link 1S. The ring or link 18 extends through suitable perforations 19 at the lower portion of the rubbing-surface, and it is adapted to project from either side of the washboard to enable the spring to be attached and arranged at either side. The cords .and the springs are removable and reversible to permit either face of the washboard to be used, and the upper portions of the brackets are provided with notches 20 at their lower or soap-receiving shoulders to permit the cords to be drawn inward close to the washboard to enable the said cords to firmly hold a small piece of soap in position.

In Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings is illustrated a modification of the inventi0n,in which a cake of soap is supported or held against longitudinal or lateral movement by means of projections 21, located beneath the IOO flexible connections 22 and consisting of pins extending through and projecting from the upper portion of the washboard at both sides or faces thereof. These pins will obviate the necessity of employing flanges for holdingthe soap, and as they are located beneath the cords or other liexible connections there will be no liability of tearing the clothes.

In the form shown in Fig. 4 the flexible connection or cord S is doubled at the back of the washboard and is connected at the loop formed by doubling the cord with a link 12, which is located within a conical spring l3, seated against the back of the board at the lower openings 9 and connected at its outer end or apex with the link l2. The link I2 is provided at its ends with eyes toreceive the cord and the spring, and the said cord 8 is spread at the base or inner end of the spring and passed through the lower openings. The side portions of the cord 8 are then extended across the soap to the upper openings 6 and are passed through the latter and have their vterminals I4 secured together at the back of the board, preferably by means of a knot, as clearly indicated in Fig. 4. The spring 13 holds the cord S yieldingly in engagement with the soap and draws the cord '8 outward automatically to take up any slack caused by the Wearing away of the soap, and the latter will be firmly held on the board until entirely worn away.

The washboard is provided at the top with a hinged guard 23, adapted to swing to either side of the washboard.

l. The combina-tion with a washboard having a fixedsoap rest or seat, of flexible pressure-exerting means having a soap-engaging portion for spanning the front or exposed sur-l face of a cake of soap to hold it seated on the board, said means being laterally yieldable to y release the same.

2. A washboard provided with a contractile flexible soap-holding device having a soapengaging portion arranged to span the front of a cake of soap to hold it seated on the board and laterally yieldable to release the same.

3. A washboard provided with an approximately L-shaped flange forming top and side shoulders, adapted to receive a cake of soap, and a flexible loop mounted on the washboard adjacent to the support or bracket and arranged to bind a cake of soap on the washboard, said loop being provided with means for retracting it as the soap is worn away.

4. A washboard provided with opposite flanges forming top and side shoulders and adapted to receive a cake of soap, and a loop detachably mounted on the washboard and capable of being arranged at either side thereof and provided with means to yieldably bind a cake of soap on the washboard, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a washboard having upper and lower openings, a flexible connection passed through the said openings and forming a pair of loops arranged tobind a cake of soap on the washboard, and a spring connected with the flexible connection and adapted to contract the loops automatically as the soap is worn away, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a washboard provided with openings, a cord laced through the openings and forming soap-receiving loops, a link mounted in openings of the washboard and arranged to project from either side thereof, and a coiled spring detachably secured to the cord and similarly connected with the link, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim thc foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' BENJAMIN TANNER.

Vitnesses:

H. W. HAGERMAN, W. H. NIHLns. 

